Carl:
Maybe you are ignorant of the fact that this is FATHER John Zuhlsdorf, an ordained "Alter Christus" who has made this poll available to the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church Militant, to cast their vote.

This visitation is highly needed to bring women religous back to obedience of the Magisterium as set up by Christ Himself.
God bless.

Quick question: if any given religious sisters in the United States are being/doing exactly what they should be/do, then why the hubbub about this? Honestly: even from a secular viewpoint, what would happen to me if I "decried my fate (in every sympathetic media outlet" if my legitimate supervisor came in to observe me at my job (and inquire into any complaints), after noting that my department was dwindling to the point of extinction? Can the "no visitation" people seriously not entertain the possibility that this is an attempt to HELP the sisters in question? If the "mean Vatican people" truly wanted the orders to be punished, I don't think they could do better than let the orders die their (apparently very rapid) natural death, and wash their hands of the whole business!

Certainly there is a big problem behind the huge drop of the vocations in the women's (and men's) religious order. In my opinion it is very late to investigate the issue since everybody with a minimum of critical understanding is able to track the beginning of the vocations dropping up to VATII council. It never stopped until now.
When Pope John XXIII in his incorrigible optimism foresaw a springtime for the Church, a "new Pentecost" we only got but sorrowful scandals, betrayals and desertions for 60 years.
There was a time when the number one virtue in religious orders was OBEDIENCE. The secular rules were freely acknowledged by their members. No critics were allowed. Those who couldn't comply were excluded.
It is now urgent to revert to the fundamentals... and forget this so called "spirit of Vatican II" which is the very cause of the mess.

Actually many scientific surveys, and many priests I have spoken with, blame Humanae Vitae for the decline in vocations. Attendance increased following Vat. Council II (it had begun to decline in the 40s), then plummeted after Humanae Vitae. The commission recommended against that terrible document for a reason!

Thank God that Pope Paul VI did issue the document. According to your warped logic, the Church changing its teaching would bolster its attendance. That's utter nonsense. People cling to the Catholic Church as the last refuge for the truth in a world gone mad!

So what would you have had Pope Paul VI to do? Further separate sexuality from child bearing? Further turn women into objects rather than precious instruments in the plan of God?

Without the contraceptive mentality, there would be no attempt to redefine marriage as between two men or two women, because people would have never started to think about marriage in terms of warm and fuzzy feelings instead of the family! It's the same with abortion. When you separate the sexual act from the conception and bearing of children, the next step is to terminate the child, the "unwanted" and "unintended" little one.

The Church has wisdom and foresaw these things because she has a fuller view of the human person. That's just on the human level. On the Divine level, she speaks with the authority of JESUS CHRIST, and you would do well to refrain from even daring to use the name Catholic while opposing her longstanding and clear moral teachings on human sexuality, marriage and reproduction.

I would have had him follow the commission's recomendation and approve artifical contraception! Sexuality is different from child bearing, it is also an expression of love between husband and wife. If someone already had children and can not afford more, are you telling them to refrain from intercourse? So now only the rich can enjoy sexual activity, while the poor must go without? Where is the Social Teaching in that?!

I was not aware of a mentality surrounding contraception! To say one leads to the other is not a valid argument, correlations are different from cause and effect, this is basic. Also, as Catholics we must accept all people no matter who they are. Contraception prevents abortion, this is a commonly known statistic. Would you rather a man use a condom, or would you rather an abortion take place? This is the reality of the world, not an ideal. Marriage is about Love, and if that is warm and fuzzy, so be it!

I may call myself Catholic. I am baptized, confirmed, and full member of the Church. I also support progressive reforms in the church. What do you say to the 90% of priests who are not opposed to the use of contaception? I urge you to read the Winnipeg Statement.